Farage Plans Strict Migrant Benefit Cuts and Tightens Welfare Rules in Landmark Reform Move

Reform UK has unveiled bold plans to dramatically curtail migrants’ access to the British welfare system, strengthening the party’s stance on benefit reform and public spending. Speaking at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham, Nigel Farage announced that only British citizens in full-time work would benefit from the proposed removal of the two-child cap on child tax credits and universal credit claims. This marks a significant shift, as generous benefit increases would be reserved exclusively for “British working people”, sharply narrowing eligibility checks.

Farage’s leadership aims to restrict the potential £2.5 billion annual cost of lifting the cap by excluding both migrants and out-of-work families from increased payments. Migrants without indefinite leave to remain or refugee status are already subject to strict “no recourse to public funds” rules. Once foreign nationals secure the right to remain, however, their entitlement largely mirrors that of British citizens—a policy Reform UK is determined to overhaul. Internal calculations by senior party figures suggest limiting access for foreign citizens could save up to £12 billion in benefit outlays across universal credit and other support schemes.

Besides narrowing the eligibility for child-related benefits, the party’s deputy leader Richard Tice and head of policy Zia Yusuf are examining further cost-reducing measures. Notably, taxpayer funding for Motability Operations—a firm that delivers vehicles to disabled claimants—could be axed or dramatically limited in terms of the types of vehicles available. Last year, Motability received a record £2.8 billion in taxpayer funding, signalling a potential target for significant cuts in the welfare budget.

Mental health benefits also face scrutiny. Senior Reform UK figures argue that so-called “overdiagnosis” of conditions such as mild anxiety, ADHD, and depression has led to an unsustainable increase in claimants—especially among younger people. The party is evaluating whether less severe mental health conditions should receive lower payments or be ineligible for support altogether.

Reform UK’s proposed measures closely mirror recent recommendations from the Centre for Social Justice, which advocated for the withdrawal of health-related benefits from around 1.1 million people with milder conditions. The think tank also suggested reducing disability payments to £103.10 per week for eligible claimants, forecasting savings of £7.4 billion by 2030. Such moves will further intensify the national debate over welfare, public finances, and who should be entitled to taxpayer support during a period of mounting fiscal pressure.